The Dog Star returns
by Elia Black-cat
Summary: Dogsbody crossover. Sirius wants to go back to earth to say thank you. A baby with green eyes is born.
1. Prologue

_This fic is a crossover between Dogsbody by Dianna Wynne-Jones and Harry Potter by J K Rowling. It would probably be useful to have at least a passing knowledge of both. _

_Sirius is not Sirius Black. He is Sirius the Dog Star. Sol is the star of our system, the sun. _

_I really would suggest you track down a copy of Dogsbody for this fic. It's one of the best books I've ever read. It got me obsessed months before the first Potter book, and whilst my appreciation for Harry waned slowly over the years as Rowling published more books, Sirius is still as fresh as the first time I read the book. It's never lost its charm._

_Disclaimer- I own neither the Harry Potter world nor the Dogsbody world. They belong to their authors. For now… _

"No! Absolutely not! Why in all the cosmos would you even contemplate…" Sol raged on at his closest neighbour and friend. Sirius simply stood there, waiting for his friends temper to burn out.

"Sol, I have to do this. It's not right, the way I left, it's not... finished. Please."

Sirius knew that it would be hard to convince Sol, but he also knew that Sol would eventually give in. He was too nice not to.

"Finished!" Sol looked shocked. "Only the mortal creatures care about that! You have all eternity! You don't need to _finish_ things! Just get over this bloody whim of yours, I won't send you back you know! Don't give me that look!"

Sirius sighed, eyes sad, lashes drooping. "I have been one of your mortal creatures, Sol. I cannot shed the instincts of a lifetime."

"Two years! That is hardly enough time to-"

"A lifetime." Sirius cut across his friend. "That is eternity to those who live it."

Sol suddenly looked lost.

"Tell me what to _do_, Sirius. I can't send you back as that dog, it is but a mortal memory now, and if I send you as some other mutt, you will come back more addicted to 'life', to endings, than you are now. Your instincts will only grow stronger. You don't even seem like the old, wild, bright Sirius any more. How can you think more like a denizen after a second lifetime, a second eternity?"

He started to drift away, back to his sphere. Sirius cast out one more plea, his voice emotive, the words catching in his throat slightly.

"Please, Effulgency…" By appealing to him as master of his sphere, Sirius showed his desperation; for such a proud star this act was the very epitomy of distress. .

Sol turned slightly, but didn't stop moving away. It would hurt too much to have to give in, and having Sirius- his Sirius, who once appealed to him the same way in the form of one of Sols' own creatures- use this title was almost more than he could bear.

"I need to think about this."

And all Sirius could so was wait for his friend to return. As long as he thought, Sirius would wait.

Sirius, or to be precise the immortal lord and denizen –effulgent- of the luminary sphere Sirius, was utterly miserable. It had been several years since he had been trapped on earth in the body of a dog, with only Sol, the sun, to help him. He had the misfortune to be falsely accused of murder and banished as punishment with the promise of redemption only if he found his Zoi, an object that held much of his power and had been used to try and kill him by the same star that committed the murder in the first place. If he failed to find it, he would die with the dogs body that was his prison. Luckily, he had retrieved it eventually, once his brain was developed enough to think of more than his next meal and the interesting smells around him. However, just as his dog self was influenced by his true nature, now that he'd returned to the skies, his mind became corrupted by ties to earth that he couldn't shed. He wanted to go back and be able to say thank-you and sorry to the girl who was his owner, Kathleen, the one who was most hurt when Sirius shed his dogs body, leaving only a green-eyed canine corpse.

It was another several months of misery and empty space (if that were ever true) before Sol returned. He looked resigned. Sirius's heart leapt even before he started talking.

"Alright. What incarnation would you like to take this time?"

Sirius grinned triumphantly, his smile blazing brightly. Reluctantly, Sol smiled back. It had been a long time since Sirius had shone with such fierce joy, since his eyes had glistened with more than tears. As much as Sol hated the plan, he missed his friends warmth. He just hoped this would not further extinguish his light in the long run. Sol didn't think he could bear that.

"Not a dog, that's for certain!"

Neither star could resist the laughter that overwhelmed them, Sirius' barks mingling with Sols' roar of mirth.

For the first time, things were looking up for Sirius. With Sol on his side he could do anything and everything, the faith of his friend embedding in him a firm core of hope.

"So, back to my question. What will you be this time, Sirius? You're going to have to live with this decision for a long time, so choose carefully."

Sirius stood up straighter, eyes alight with possibilities.

"I wish to be a human, somewhere relatively near Kathleen. One with green eyed parents ideally, so my eyes might go un-noticed."

Sol nodded with approval.

"Very well thought out. And do you want to be magical or non-magical?"

Sirius' eyes widened in surprise.

"Is that an option? There are magical humans?"

Sol beamed with pride.

"Earth is my masterpiece. It holds the seeds of everything, and magical humans certainly qualify as part of everything. They aren't as abundant as the non-magical variety, and keep themselves so well hidden that most non-magical humans aren't even aware of their presence. They would probably be your best choice, as any remarkable incidents would merely be seen as magical talent making itself known"

"Really?! It sounds fantastic! Almost too good to be true!"

Sol chuckled at Sirius' enthusiasm, a little sadly though, at his naivety. After so many years of existence, Sirius' innocence remained untainted..

"It certainly is true. I'll jus go see if there's a breeding couple that matches that description available."

And that was that. It was no more than two days before Sol found a likely match. A wizarding couple in Britain, and the female of the pair had extraordinary green eyes. She was due to give birth any week now.

Convincing the luminary judges that it was a good idea was another task entirely. Polaris seemed to accept Sirius' decision with no more than a nod of the head- he never seemed surprised by anything, it could be creepy at times- but Antares and Betelgeuse were not so understanding.

"What in all the blazes do you think you'll achieve from this?! You just got back from that miserable little rock, and now you want to go down again?!"

Sirius winced. Sol looked so angry at the 'miserable little rock comment, and neither knew what to say.

"I-It's n-not your d-d-decision, Ant-tares. L-let them t-try, if th-they want t-t-to." Polaris cut across, quiet as always, but his voice carrying the ever-present undercurrent of authority. Sirius looked into the eyes of the small white star, and saw sorrow, but also the determination that justice would be served this night, come hell or high water, on his honour as a judge.

"W-we s-s-sent him d-d-down there in th-the f-f-first pl-lace. A-as long as h-he h-has a s-suitable r-r-rep-placement p-picked out, w-we c-cannot stop them."

Betelgeuse grumbled, as only a red giant can.

"I don't like this. What if the replacement denizen for the Sirius sphere is as corrupt as the last? He started to damage Sols' system, he was so bloody awful at his job! What'll you do about this one?!"

Sirius looked at his friend.

"Sol, you were always a better judge of character than me. Will you help me? You'll be nearest to the replacement, so you'll be the first to know if something goes wrong. Please help me pick someone. We can…" He took a deep breath. "We can offer the companion sphere as a permanent home if they do the duties of Sirius for as long as I'm away, and listen to any advice you might give them." Sirius could hardly stand letting someone into his companion star, but it was time to give it up.

Sol smirked.

"I would be glad to."

"Th-then it's s-s-settled!" Polaris said in a way that allowed no argument from the other judges.

And it was.

A small un-named star from a crowded system was offered a chance at a new sphere, Sirius', with the promise of an important sphere of his own after if he took good care of that of one of the most influential and powerful Effulgents in the charted skies. His only task other than the care and protection of the sphere, was to pass on the Zoi for the system he was monitoring to the human with the eyes of a major Effulgent when it was grown up enough to find it quickly and keep it easily. He accepted eagerly.

That day, Harry James Potter was born.

_And so the scene is set. Let the plot begin! _

_Next chapter._

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	2. In the beginning

_I don't own, you don't sue. Got it?_

_Everyone worship the Beta. Squibakou rocks. Go Squibby! _

As Sirius struggled to open his eyes, he had a strange sense of deja-vu. He could barely move, he was so weak, and none of his movements were in any way coordinated. This time however, his lungs were at least able to make sounds from the beginning. Now all he had to do was work out how to make the _right _noises. The waves of sound around him were so familiar, but they echoed weirdly in his ears: muffled, less sharp. He felt he had learned what these meant before, but they were so much louder and more blurry than he remembered, and he couldn't focus properly on the word-sounds yet.

"Aww, look Lil! He's got your eyes!" Lower. Happy.

"Don't be silly, James! He's only an infant, his eyes are still…Goodness! They really are green!" High. Surprised. Warm.

"See! See! He's our boy! Your eyes and my-"

"-Loud voice." A chuckle. "He's been grizzling for nearly ten minutes. I probably should feed him now."

"I was going to say charm, talent and wonderful personality!" Mock-hurt.

"They amount to the same thing, in your case." Humorous. If only he could understand what they were saying in those tones!

He didn't know how long he'd been struggling. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move around; no matter what he did he couldn't communicate beyond gurgling sounds that were cooed at, but decidedly not understood. He had most of the sounds sorted in his head by now, but speaking them was an entirely different affair altogether.

A few weeks ago Mummy and Daddy (that was what they seemed to want him to call them, though they had other names for each other) had spent all day with him: waving miniature stuffed animals at him; singing jaunty tunes; laughing when he grasped their fingers in his annoyingly small, but surprisingly strong hands. It had driven home the point that he had a lot to learn. Why had they done that? Why the nice things, the soft things, the things that were noisy, the things he could hold, what were they for? What was so special about today that they kept hugging him? He hoped he could grow up fast and find the answers for himself.

The nights were getting longer now. Sirius knew this, because he was now crawling, and his parents often took him out into the garden for walks at night. He was ecstatic because the stars came out sooner now, and something about them made his heart leap. Wheeling overhead, burning brightly, Sirius watched them, his eyes alight, glowing with joy. One night, he had even seen something fall from the stars. He searched for it all that evening, because a part of him knew it was a gift meant for him. A gift from the stars. It turned out to be a smooth green stone, the colour of his eyes. His parents couldn't get him to let go of it, he wouldn't even let them touch it. His Mummy sorted this by making a drawstring bag to put it in, and wrapped the chord around his wrist.

His parents loved to see his eyes shining green in the darkness. They thought it was a good indicator of how powerful he would one day be.

"Lily! Take Harry and _RUN!_"

Sirius snapped awake, head groggy. Daddy sounded scared. What was there to be scared of? His mummy burst into the room, hair in disarray, face screwed up. Was mummy crying? Normally Sirius would grizzle at being woken up so early, but something was wrong. He took his special stone out of its pouch, clutching it in his palm. Somehow, he thought it might help. He held up his arms for a hug, wishing to reassure her. She snatched him up roughly, and darted towards the door, but too late. Sirius saw some strange people come in, and shivered. There was something… un-bright about them, like their spark had been extinguished, and they were stealing other people's light to make up for it.

"Not Harry! Not Harry!" His mummy screamed. Sirius was confused. What had he done wrong? He was reaching out to bat his mummy's face, his way of demanding attention, when the scary man said something strange, and a pretty green light filled the room. Sirius's crow of delight was cut short as he realised something was not right. Mummy had stopped crying, had fallen over, had stopped moving, had stopped _breathing…_Sirius was trapped under her body, and the bad men were closing in.

The green light flared, and he heard the nasty man laughing. He was suddenly so tired…

Then his eyes snapped open. How dare they? How _DARE THEY?!_ He was a luminary! They couldn't do this to him! His fury burned inside his stomach and his eyes filled with tears. The laughter of the bad man rang in his head, and he lit into a rage that only a star was capable of. He _was_ green fire, clutching his special stone, the room was alight, burning green (Zoi, it was called a Zoi, he needed to remember that after…) and the bad men burned. He was angry, he was _ANGRY_… and then it was over.

The house was on fire, but he was too badly burned to notice.

Only his magical core had stopped his bones evaporating, and only his immortality had stopped him from dying. Second by second, his skin healed over, spreading back over charred muscle and bared bone. Within three minutes there was no sign of any damage to his body. His head, down to the skull, bubbled and shifted as the layers of flesh regenerated themselves. It was only on the last patch of skin, his forehead, that his brain rebuilt itself enough to feel the intense pain from every part of his body. He was down to a jagged sliver of skin, but he couldn't go on. He collapsed, trembling spasmodically, onto the body of his mother. He couldn't fall asleep, but he was too tired to move, to think. He just sat there, watching the green memories sinking back into the corners of his mind, clutching his special stone like a lifeline.

He vaguely sensed someone picking him up, but he couldn't focus his eyes. He was so tired- Still, something about the movement felt familiar… like being held in the palm of …someone's…hand? He couldn't focus on the memory, but details drifted across his mind. Wet and cold, just the opposite of what he felt now, but he couldn't focus then either, as weak as he was.

Slowly, the motion lulled the tired child, the lost luminary, the boy who lived, to sleep.

Petunia Dursley wouldn't admit it, but at first she had been halfway prepared to raise the freakish thing alongside her own Duddykins. He hardly cried, and didn't demand much food. Also, his green eyes reminded her of her own sister's, bright and innocent, before she was taken away and made into a freak and a stranger. Petunia was even prepared to ignore his hair, as messy as that of his blasted father. However, her illusions of raising him as a decent child were shattered after she took the boys out for a walk one night.

Dudley had thrown a tantrum, and my goodness she was tired of his tantrums, but Harry had gotten ready to go without a fuss. He even seemed exited. Then they left the house, Harry trotting along ahead, Dudley pulling back, Petunia in the middle, and she saw first hand how freakish he was. As they walked along she saw a faint green light, just a suggestion of a glow at first, but building slowly. She couldn't see where it came from until Harry turned around. His grin was clearly visible by the intense green light emanating from his eyes. She knew at that point he would never be normal, no matter what she did. She was too late. Her own son's complaints now sounded like music to her ears.

When they arrived back at the house, Petunia towing both boys at a frantic pace, Harry's cot was moved out of his room, and into the cupboard. When Vernon asked, his wife's explanation was that Dudley needed a new playroom, and there was no room for freaks in their house.

Sirius didn't see the night sky again for another nine and a half years.

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	3. The early years

_Hi readers! Sorry it took so long to update. I had exams, and then I was in Portugal, so… well, here's the next chapter. _

_Standard disclaimer- I have no claim to these characters. That good enough? It hurts to say it but…They're really not mine. _

_Thank you Squibby for the excellent Beta job. I decided to go against the Irish accent, because Kathleen seems to talk normally in Dogsbody. Great idea though._

Somehow, from the vague shadowy memories he couldn't quite recall, Sirius thought it was unusual, but so very familiar, to gather names from those people surrounding him. He was 'Harry' or 'young Potter' to his teachers; 'freak' to Dudley- a term now used rarely by his guardians in favour of more anonymous idioms, so to avoid even the recognition of what made him 'freakish'- 'boy' to uncle Vernon; 'Potter' to aunt Petunia and 'that thing' when his guardians didn't know he was listening. Strangely, no-one called him 'Sirius'. He didn't know where he'd got that name from. Answers to such questions (and there were many) lurked, hidden, somewhere in the elusive dreams that vanished upon waking. Dancing beyond reach, linked, he knew, with the smooth round stone he felt had always been his, murky, green, and tinged with an ethereal glow- so familiar and yet so alien. He didn't even know from which set of lost memories the name came from. There were two, and they confused him. In one, he caught glimpses of a house not unlike the Dursley's, but huge- everything towered over him. Also, he wasn't sure he existed properly in the big house. He couldn't remember his bedroom, or sitting at the table. These memories were so detailed (in a dreamlike, nebulous way) that he only counted them lost because he didn't know how they fitted into his life. They couldn't be from when he was living with his parents: the angry fat woman was too close to Vernon, but nothing like Petunia, and no-one had black hair.

From the other collection of lost memories he only had a sense of burning joy, blinding anger and an inferno of power. And green fire. Lots of green fire. The green fire scared him, but he didn't know why. It wasn't scary in the memories, but welcoming. But then he heard the creepy laugh, and suddenly the memory of it burned.

He never spoke of either set of memories.

……………………………………………….

When he was old enough to think about it, before he'd learned not to ask questions, he asked his aunt why he was a freak. She turned on him, bony face contorted in fury, holding herself back only when she saw his small, terrified face. She pulled herself together, and sneered unpleasantly. Apparently the brat really hadn't realised.

"You don't really think normal people have eyes like _those_, do you? Look in the mirror and try to tell me you're anything like us." She swept out; satisfied that he wouldn't ask anymore inane questions. But Sirius was preoccupied, enveloped in a rush of cloudy memories. A strong grip around his middle, desperation, and words, so loud they contained meaning only after they were heard.

_I don't like the colour of your eyes._

And standing, looking up at a crowd of giants, and a smell of clay, and a quieter, more thoughtful voice, although it might have been the same one.

_I don't like his eyes._

The word 'freak' was never spoken again to him by his aunt and uncle. They'd made their point. He knew he was a freak and not a true part of the family. He wasn't one of them.

But then what was he?

………………………..

There was another unusual thing in his life, but with this one he didn't even realise it was strange until he was about six. It was the floaty man. He was all fiery, and tiny. Sirius saw him when he went for walks to escape the oppressive atmosphere in the Dursley household.

He thought the man was funny the first few times his eyes met Sirius'. The man started to smile, and looked like he was laughing, but then started to pull faces like he was angry.

Soon the man didn't look happy at all. He never spoke, so Sirius didn't know what annoyed him so much.

Then one day Sirius waved, and the funny floaty man started to smile again.

But as he grew up, Sirius started to get annoyed at having to wave at this… imaginary thingy. Because people didn't float. And people weren't on fire (and if they were, they were certainly bothered by it). And he was already freaky enough without being nuts.

He stopped waving and smiling at the thing. And it grew angry again. It didn't go away, but it didn't do anything to hurt him either. So he ignored it.

…………………………..

In school, he knew he had to look more stupid than he was. He didn't know why. So he put on the stupid grin, plastered on an expression of joy every time he received even slight praise from the teachers. He acted so adorably thick he half expected them to pat his head for achieving what other kids found easy. This kept him slightly behind Dudley without anyone suspecting underhandedness. It was useful, but he had a sneaking suspicion he'd have done it anyway, even without the Dursleys hanging over his shoulder. It just came naturally.

Only one person had ever seen through it. She worked in a local newsagent's, where he bought uncle Vernon's paper. The first time he ran in, full of energy, bounding and beaming, she just gave him a sceptical look, and when he handed over the paper and money she took one look at his face, glanced down to scan the barcode, then snapped her gaze back up in shock.

_Puppy__-like__ eagerness, but his cheekbones stuck out awkwardly. Almost desperately cheerful. _

_Just another kid, albeit underfed._

_But those eyes…_

_Leo?_

She tore her attention back to the item at hand, and then, when he was reaching out to take the paper, pulled it back. His eyes widened as she handed over a bar of chocolate.

"But I'm not … I mean… It isn't my money, so-" She cut off his flustered speech with a wave of her hand, and spoke, her soft voice betraying a slight Irish lilt.

"You need it, and we've got plenty to spare. It's not a popular brand." She watched carefully as his face lit up, but held up a hand.

"If you ever think you need someone to talk to, or somewhere safe, you could always come to me." She knew she was taking a chance- if he was simply a skinny kid who went back to his parents, she'd be in big trouble. But she doubted it. He looked like he needed help desperately, and probably no-one would dare to offer it in case it was taken in the wrong way. She'd just have to take the chance, and-

Suddenly, she knew what to do.

"If you want some money, you could help me out here after school some nights."

There. A legitimate reason to keep him away from wherever he was staying, and make sure that he was fed _something_, even if it was only chocolate.

And the best bit, if her guess was right, whoever looked after him would probably snap up the chance to have him earning something. Pathetic, but she knew how her own aunt would have reacted to such an offer.

Kathleen handed over the paper.

"One condition, though." She saw his face fall. "No feigning stupidity. I'm not fooled, and you'll be a fair bit less useful if you keep it up when you're doing tasks around the shop." The boys smile could have split his cheeks in half and from the sparkle in his eyes she was sure this _wasn't _faked emotion.

"Thank you, miss!" She smiled.

"Call me Kathleen. What's your name?"

"Harry." Her heart lurched a little. It was stupid, but she was hoping Leo, or even Sirius.

Ah well. He still needed her help, and, damn it, he was getting it whether he liked it or not. She watched him dash out the door, wolfing down the chocolate as he ran, the wrapper already discarded in a bin.

Everyone needed a little caring for, mused Kathleen. Mrs. Smith had helped her, and now Kathleen would help Harry.

………………………………..

Since Kathleen had been adopted by the strict (but unmistakeably kind) Mrs. Smith, her life had taken a turn for the better. It had turned out that Kathleen's dog, Leo, had visited her every day when she was at school. She had called the dog Sirius, because of the colour of his eyes. When Kathleen ran from her aunt and uncle after her father died, Leo had dragged her to Mrs. Smith, and although Leo himself died that night, Mrs. Smith cared for Kathleen, raising her better than any family she'd had before.

Kathleen was now in university, studying Veterinary Medicine- she wanted to know how Leo died, but still hadn't found the explanation- and worked in a newsagent's for some extra cash. Mrs. Smith had died two years previously, but her kindness had made a mark on Kathleen and now she wanted to pass it on.

And the boy was just like Leo had been: playing stupid when his eyes said he was almost too intelligent. It was those eyes that clamoured for attention in her scattered thoughts. Those eyes…

Exactly the same…

She couldn't remember what had happened that night eight (?) years ago. She put it down to shock- her father, then her dog, on the same night!

But she wanted to remember.

And she knew it was utterly crazy to take in a kid just because he reminded her of her dead dog, but hey-

Leo was very exceptional.

…………………………………

_As always, reviews are very welcome!_


	4. fight!

_Aaaand another one!_

_Still not my ideas…_

_And Squibby still needs worship! _

Sirius didn't think his eyes were all that made him different. The green wasn't just in his eyes, but part of his very being; fused with every feeling- fear, frustration, anger, joy, helplessness, grief- all accompanied by a green flash, or a wave of green light, or a green spark in his head.

His Aunt Petunia seemed to sense this difference in him, Sirius mused. She reacted so oddly, even with minor incidents and happenings. There was no way to explain what happened on these occasions, but no-one ever got hurt, and yet she always appeared stricken with fear. His uncle didn't seem so much afraid as blazing mad, and Sirius almost welcomed it. Uncle Vernon said such senseless, pointless, ridiculous things, and roared and flailed, and it was almost worth the noise to see Petunia looking afraid of someone other than himself. She watched the rows with her eyes wide, standing stiff and thin as usual, arms wrapped around her waist as if she were holding herself from fleeing out the room. Once, during a particularly rowdy argument, she burst through her husbands' tirade, and started screaming at _him_! Sirius really didn't mind being called a 'no-good namby-pamby wishy-washy freak', and didn't know why she was so scared of Vernon telling him (well…yelling) to '_GET ON YOUR BLOODY BROOMSTICK AND LEAVE US DECENT PEOP_-'. Sirius thought broomsticks sounded fun. It might have been loud, but he got most of his daydreams from listening to his uncles' silly rants. They were annoying, but his uncle only ever thrashed about, like he was searching for ideas, albeit loudly. But one venomous lashing from his shrill wife and the ranting would end.

His uncle would grunt and growl, but he had visibly restrained himself (turning vibrant shades of purple in the process) from such feverous outbursts since then. However, the same could not be said for his son…

………………………………….

Shortly before the larger cousin reached the age of ten, he finally, and without remorse, turned on his weaker relative. He knew that even if his dad found out, he wouldn't get into trouble. Vernon hadn't told him not to, and nobody seemed to like the boy-under-the-stairs. He couldn't think why he'd not tried before- he'd seen his dad do it, and had beaten up other kids himself. It was a real thrill, and he felt strong and brave as an ox once he'd finished with them. He didn't know why his aunt seemed to edge around the kid, but he didn't look that tough. It was an easy decision, in the end.

He planned it out with his gang, and the next day at lunch break they made their move. It was simplicity itself to ambush the younger boy who expected nothing until he was surrounded, the centre of a ring of jeering children, and barging through them- towards him- his cousin. The first few punches were met with minimum resistance. Two landed hard in his stomach, and then an elbow caught the side of his head. Falling backwards into unwelcome arms, he was pushed towards his cousin again. He saw the next blow coming as if from a distance, twisting his body so it only glanced off his side. It all seemed horribly familiar, but he didn't know from _where_! The jeering, the shoving, so familiar but like a dream: unreal. He was sure there was no punching though…

And then he had it.

Sirius raised his head, snarling. His eyes, always eerie, now blazed, momentarily illuminating his cousin's twisted happy features, which froze in hideous place. Sirius lunged forwards, slamming into his fat relative, who –more from the shock of the assault than force- fell backwards. The circle broke apart violently as some darted forwards to help and some moved back to let the humiliated Dudley escape.

Sirius lurched towards the gate, shoulders barely brushing the few children who remained as they scurried away, he felt dizzy and ill… he tottered unsteadily as the fence of the playground loomed into view… but the ground suddenly looked very nice… and it was like walking on a bouncy castle… and there was a strange sound, like the wind… and he felt like someone was yelling, but there was no sound, and they sounded scared… and the sunlight flared…

He was unconscious by the time the playground monitor had come to see what the fuss was.

………………………..

His teachers sent him home after he recovered, only unconscious for moments, but dizzy for the ten minutes he was in the first aid room. He didn't ring the doorbell- he couldn't expect a warm welcome, and it was a nice day- but sat on the doorstep, looking out at the yard.

The man of fire appeared agitated, but Sirius couldn't make himself care. The sun was nice and warm, and he didn't seem angry- more worried. But the boy couldn't be sure.

It was hard to say if the man was trying to tell him something. His mouth never moved, but Sirius was sure that if he could only work out the code, he'd be talking.

Was it body language, or was it too high to hear like a dog whistle (although Sirius had never had any trouble hearing _them_) or was he too far away to hear? Sirius couldn't get the message, but he somehow felt what was meant. He knew that the man was not angry, for example. He just knew. If only he could find the words that went with the feelings!

……………………………………….

The school called the Dursleys about the fight, but it was dismissed out of hand. They never found out that Dudley had been the perpetrator.

Dudley would never mention it to another person. He was terrified by those green eyes, and the rasping growl that sounded so inhuman. To make matters worse, his humiliation had been entirely public. He had turned, in the course of an afternoon, from the leader, the boss, the big one, into a fat bully and a coward. He tried to save face but the damage was done. Even after beating up a few younger brats, his former friends thought he was pathetic. He couldn't take on anyone close to his size, and now they knew it.

………………………………………

Kathleen fussed and fretted over Sirius when he walked into the veterinary surgery that she worked in sporting a bruised forehead. Sirius was touched by how motherly she acted. It was a warming feeling, and that day she wouldn't allow him to do any fetching or sorting, but told him to talk and keep her company whilst she worked, as there were few customers. He felt safe under her watchful eye, free to do what he wished, more at home here than he'd ever felt in his cupboard. He remembered when she'd left to do some training far away, and he'd realised how much of a sanctuary she'd built for him. Then she had reappeared, walking down the street like a beautiful dream, and immediately offered him the same deal as before: he could stay out of sight, putting lids onto bottles, fetching things for her, mopping, hovering, and sometimes just sitting with the animals in cages who were staying at the vets. He even got to take her golden lab, Comet, out to play with when she was busy and he'd nothing to do. Although Kathleen didn't sell chocolate anymore, she always managed to find an excuse to feed him snacks, and best of all, he was paid- only a small amount, but enough to keep the Dursleys happy- so none of the family would stop him going out three nights a week after school.

It was his haven, and Kathleen his angel, the person that he trusted most in the world. But that didn't explain why, for a moment, he had imagined her in the middle of the ring of bullies, weaker and smaller, or why he always felt the need to protect her.

It might just have been because she mattered most, but he doubted it. He didn't know what it meant, but he was thankful he had someone to care about that cared about him.

………………..

_You know the drill, read and review please!_


	5. susurrus

_Hi! Another chapter, another disclaimer! _

_You know the drill, do I really Have to say it?_

_Fine... me no owney..._

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On Dudley's eleventh birthday Sirius finally gave in to the inevitable and accepted his …_unusual_ traits. It had to happen sometime.

On this particular birthday, his parents had arranged to take Dudley to the zoo. Normally he would go with a friend, but this year he muttered something about family time. After his mother had gotten over a minor fit of hysteria over the 'goodness of my little Duddykins', Dudley turned an interesting shade of pink and made for the door.

"Bashful- eh, Dudders!" His father chortled after him as he wriggled away, cringing at his parents' behaviour.

When old Mrs. Figg broke her ankle, Petunia and Vernon had fluttered through other options like leaves in a tornado, but in the end their only choice became clear: Harry would have to go with them. Surprisingly, Dudley did not protest even slightly. This made the journey a bit easier on the elder Dursleys- they simply pretended Sirius wasn't there, which was fine by him.

………………………………………………………………….

It was official. Sirius hated the whole concept of zoos in general, but he was having the best day he could remember! Even as the caged animals looked out of place, and slightly sad, they didn't see how scruffy he was, they didn't sneer, they didn't look away, and none of them looked very ill, like some of the cats and dogs at the vets. He liked all the different types of animals, some of them were very strange, and they all turned to look at him when he passed by. He wanted to let them out, but he knew that the whole zoo was a cage in a way and even if he set them free they wouldn't be able to escape its confines. Finding himself thinking more and more about the way the animals looked like they were feeling, he stopped looking at what they were on the outside as much. He began to daydream as he followed the Dursleys from lions to parrots to zebras to… the reptile house.

Inside the building, the Dursleys wandered off, and Sirius stopped in front of the nearest exhibits, glad to find himself alone. It was quiet and cool; the sunlight could not enter this silent room. Sirius imagined himself to be insulated, isolated, from the world.

Although no-one was there, Sirius felt uneasy, like many eyes were watching. He shivered. His breath whispered a shaky sigh.

The animals here were still, frozen in place. They lifted their heads to look at him like all the others had done, but in this enclosed space it felt so much more personal.

Sirius smiled.

There was something almost welcoming in their impassive reptilian gazes, he decided.

"Hi," he said, a little self-consciously.

A flurry of dry murmurs answered. Sirius looked for the speakers, human or mechanical, but could see nothing. Listening closely, he could pick out some phrases repeated back and forth, like little trickles of dust on a windy day.

_'…It speaks…sky watcher…night fire…here…welcome…' _

Sirius frowned. It was eerie, but at the same time the words struck some kind of chord that nearly brought out a memory. Sky watcher?

Then he had it.

A sky watcher like the fiery man. But what about the 'night fire'? He'd only seen the figure in day time. Was it different at night? What did they mean?

"Night fire?" He repeated, hoping they'd elaborate. Whoever they were.

_'doesn't know…how…few skins passed…' _there was a pause, then-

_'light above…night… now flesh… green light…watcher…'_

There was another pause, only this time it was Sirius who was thinking, trying to absorb all the fleating phrases. He could vaguely remember green light. And…laughter? But it was probably the other green light from his memories, the one that held a whole different world in its flow. It felt to him, now, that that was where the name 'Sirius' had come from. But that still didn't explain _anything_!

"Are you trying to say that I am now… living, and I used to be a …." Sirius hesitated. This was so stupid. "A green light in the sky at night? Like the creepy person on fire in the daytime?" Sirius cringed. That had to have been the most pathetic thing he'd ever done. So sad and lonely and _pathetic_. Speaking to the voices in his head, to nobody, to himself even.

_'Yesss…but how…speak…?'_

Sirius shrugged apologetically in the dark.

"I don't know what you mean. I'm sorry."

The voices sounded more coordinated, and more irritated now.

_'How…speak…to…US…?_'

The slow pattern of their speech reminded Sirius uncomfortably of his primary school teachers, patronising in their simplicity.

"If I knew who you were I might be able to answer that, but I can't see you. Who are you?"

There was an almost inaudible sigh from all around.

'_I'm here.'_

Sirius whipped around. A cobra was gazing at him, eyes glued to his, the golden orbs staring with more intensity and intelligence than Sirius could possibly have imagined an animal could possess.

_'We're here…all here…' _And now the sound was from all sides again and all the snakes' heads were lifted in his direction. Sirius felt hysterical laughter build inside him. He was talking to snakes.

Huh.

"N-nice to meet you…" He managed, and the entire room erupted in sinister hissing noises that Sirius could feel in his gut was laughter. He broke down, cackling wildly with the entire room of snakes.

...

Peeking through the door of the snake house, Dudley watched in horror.

He never mentioned this to his parents either.

...

_Until next time!_


	6. Discovery

_Hi! Sorry for not uploading for a while. Be warned, It'll be a long time until the next chapter as well._

_I still own nothing of importance, and this fic is still disclaimed._

_Worship the beta! She totally deserves it for putting up with me. Thanks Squibby!_

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"Dudley! Fetch the mail!" Vernon's voice thundered in Sirius' ears where he sat at the table next to Dudley, who was tucking into a mountain of scrambled egg. Sirius groaned internally. Why did he have to _yell_ so much? Everyone knew he was the big man of the house; he didn't have to prove it every time he opened his mouth. Unless he doubted his own power? Sirius supposed Petunia was more… decisive about domestic matters, but they should sort it out between themselves. The rest of the world didn't need to be deafened just to satisfy his ego… And Dudley would ignore him anyway; push it onto his obedient cousin, as usual.

Just as Sirius expected, Dudley looked up with an angry pout.

"Make Harry get-" Dudley broke off sharply, a brief look of panic flitting across his flabby face.

"Boy! Do I have to wait all day for my mail? Can't you see your cousin is eating? I can't be having with laziness in this household!" The Dursley senior seemed completely oblivious, both to his nephews' grimace in response to the shouting (which was expected) and to his son's strange hesitance (which was not entirely expected, but not completely surprising either). Really, the man should open his eyes more, Sirius thought. Still, he was in no mood to argue…

"_Well?! _Mail! Now!"

Sirius stood up slowly, still wondering what had spooked Dudley, and left the kitchen, heading for the small pile of envelopes that littered the carpet under the door. Gathering up a handful, he flicked through them. Suddenly, he froze.

_An envelope with his name on it. In strange green ink. Huh. Nice colour…_

He slipped it into his sleeve. It made a strange bulge around his wrist, but that was the thing about uncle Vernon. He never noticed anything unless it was actually pointed out to him. He wouldn't be looking at Sirius's sleeves. Sirius would read the letter later.

He entered the dining room again and passed his uncle the letters. Vernon didn't even make eye contact, but continued talking to his wife emphatically as always. Not so Dudley. He noticed all right. His eyes focussed first on his cousin, then, noticing the obvious shape up his sleeve, bulging slightly.

"…Marge is _ill,_ ate a funny whelk-"

"Daddy, _look! _H-" Dudley froze again, his fear plastered across his face. Sirius frowned, wondering what was stopping him letting his fat mouth run away with him as the normal state of things predicted. The transition was smooth, but noted. "-Have we got a basket of fruit or anything? To send to aunty, you know…" Sirius said nothing, but his thoughts fluttered around like butterflies in a hurricane. He _knew _that wasn't what his cousin had been going to say. He could hazard a very confident guess as to what his cousin was going to say, and that wasn't it. Oh well. Who knew what went on in the great jellyfish's bloated brain. Or if he even had one.

Still, Sirius reminded himself, Dudley _had_ helped him.

……………………………………………………………..

In his cupboard again, Sirius waited until he was certain no-one was going to call him away for more chores, and then, heart beating wildly, opened the envelope. His jaw dropped.

'_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and wizardry…'_

…………………………………………………………………………….

A knock on the door made Sirius sit bolt upright, banging his head on the ceiling of his cupboard. He cursed under his breath. He'd been so lost in the letter he'd completely forgotten to listen for approaching footsteps. But which member of the family would knock?

"Can I come in?"

Dudley. A nervous sounding Dudley, which was something new and un-Dudley-esque, but still Dudley.

"Come in…" called the bemused wizard (_wizard! He was a wizard!_) softly.

Dudley slowly opened the door to the cupboard and peered inside. Sirius edged into the corner, leaving enough room for his cousin to squash himself in and simultaneously hiding the letter behind his back.

"How can you sleep in this hole? I barely fit…" Dudley complained. Sirius felt a pang of annoyance flicker up his spine.

"Well, I don't have two bedrooms like some people. I have to make do with what I've been given." Sirius surprised himself by speaking in a flat tone, truthful but sarcastic at the same time. He mostly used placatory tones when speaking to his cousin, and deferential ones with his aunt and uncle. He was sure he should have been too scared to speak his actual _thoughts_, but here he was being positively waspish, and his cousin wasn't scary at all! In fact, the fat boy was the one that looked uncomfortable. Sirius was in his element. However, Dudley must have had a reason to come knocking, and, Sirius decided, it might be worth listening to. If only because Dudley could run to his parents at any moment. Sirius broke eye contact and waited for Dudley to line up the words he knew were coming.

"You got a letter. I saw it." Dudley blurted out, the words seeming to leave him of their own volition.

"And?" Sirius prompted irritably.

"…You never get mail." Sirius waited again. It would come out eventually.

"I could have told Dad, but I didn't!"

Sirius nearly growled with exasperation. This was going nowhere! So the useless lump wanted to resort to blackmail for something? Two could play that game.

"You beat me up in the playground. Unprovoked. With a gang of cronies. I could have told your dad. I didn't." Sirius mimicked his broken sentences, driving home each point hard.

Dudley flinched, and Sirius saw a look of naked terror wash his features white. He relented slightly.

"Thank you for not telling," he ventured. Dudley relaxed slightly, but didn't say anything in return. Sirius decided to ask straight out.

"Why are you scared of me? You aren't normally like this. Usually you'd just run straight to daddy with your tale. Spill."

"I…I…" Dudley stuttered, face reddening. Realising he was cornered, he deflated.

"Can you really talk to snakes?" He whispered; a desperate appeal to his cousin to confirm that he wasn't insane. Sirius burst into stifled laughter.

"Weren't they _gorgeous?_" He chortled. His cousin gave an embarrassed, nervous smile in return.

"I didn't really notice. I was just worried you were some sort of- alien, or monster, come to abduct the family."

Sirius's laughter grew even wilder, his shoulders shaking slightly.

"I can as- assure you that… I have no intention of abdu- abducting you…" He paused for breath. "Who would want to?! And I'm not an alien. Just a person who's a bit…" the pause this time was to try and find the least frightening term. "…_strange_." He gasped for breath, composing himself slightly. Dudley smiled again, still tentative, but growing in confidence.

"Yeah, I didn't think so, but I couldn't think of any other explanation, especially-" his mouth snapped closed, his eyes bulged violently and all the colour in his face dropped away instantly. Sirius sighed. Dudley was as easy to read as a book. His face was emotional litmus paper- it kept changing colour!

"Except _what?_" he prodded.

"…Nothing." said Dudley, and _damn it_, there was that flush of colour again! It couldn't be healthy. White then red then white then red… Sirius had had enough.

"Look, Dudley, you can't lie for toffee. There's something else that's scaring you, and we won't get anywhere until you decide to trust me." He was hoping he'd hit the right tone, and that Dudley would respond to a direct command. He was so tired of hinting, wheedling and reassuring…

Dudley looked more apprehensive, but his skin tone started to work itself back to its normal slight flush. Sirius thought it was a good sign that he'd not instantly reddened _again_.

"I err…what do you remember about the…fight?" Dudley's voice trailed away as his cousin lost the reassuring expression.

"If you are talking about when you and your _thugs_ attacked me, I remember the first few punches. The rest is a blur." Dudley took a deep breath, forcing the words out.

"Well after I- after that… you stood up and… Your eyes, Harry, they were glowing! And you fought back- you just leapt at me! And you were growling, like an animal! It was really scary!"

Sirius froze. Glowing eyes…

'…_green light…'_

But, Sirius noted with a jolt, he couldn't have done that.

"You liar! I couldn't have attacked you! I could hardly stand, and then I collapsed!" Dudley flinched, but nodded earnestly.

"You did! That's what scared me most after, that you were that scary when you were so weak…" There was nothing but honesty in his voice, and his skin didn't flush or whiten. Sirius relaxed.

"Well, that explains it… you've been avoiding me since then, haven't you?"

"Yeah. I thought that might have been why mum called you a freak, and if she knew then it was real and I wasn't crazy. But it doesn't deserve being kept in _here_ for so long. If it wasn't so creepy it would be really cool!" He began to sound genuinely eager now he'd opened up completely. Sirius felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He knew why his family called him a freak, and someone else knew but didn't find him freakish!

"That's what your mum said was wrong with me. My eyes. I never knew what she meant. Thanks for telling me!"

"You're welcome. Now, what was in the letter?"

Sirius's eyes widened slightly. He'd forgotten…

"You won't believe me." Dudley frowned.

"After all that? You don't get to bail out now. I want to _know_. I've seen your eyes light up, and I've seen you talk to snakes. Surprise me."

Sirius paused, then said it.

"I'm a wizard."

…………………………………………

After that, events moved on quite quickly. Dudley agreed to put Sirius' reply to the letter (In which he clearly expressed his enthusiasm, but also made obvious that he knew nothing about the wizarding world and would like to speak to someone to ensure it wasn't a hoax) on his windowsill, and watched in amazement as the owl flew past that night and snatched it up.

Two days later, breakfast was interrupted by a loud thumping on the door. Sirius answered it (of course) and a giant walked into the Dursley household. He said that he was visiting on behalf of Hogwarts, and he wished to talk to Sirius' aunt and uncle, then crossed the hall and went into the kitchen, closing the door behind him. Sirius never found out what happened during that conversation, apart from the yelling and thumping noises typical of an enraged Vernon. The giant then left the house, and Sirius left with him.

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_I'm sorry this has taken so long. I'm on limited computer time (my parents think it is an unhealthy addiction, even typing stories), and I'm very busy at the moment with studying etc. Please don't be too angry!_

_If you enjoyed this chapter, please review! (As you have reached this point, I presume you have already read...)_


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